Fair Fashion - Interview with Annemarie Brückner
Krawall&Liebe - Fair Fashion offers ethically and ecologically manufactured fashion. What does that mean exactly?
The aim is to keep the ecological footprint as small as possible, to guarantee workers in the textile industry decent working conditions throughout the production process and to be able to offer buyers high-quality and non-toxic clothing and accessories.
What does "fashion" mean to you and what is the purpose of fashion?
Aside from the fact that clothing primarily protects against the adversities of the weather, it also expresses a lot about a person's character. And vice versa, a lot can be expressed through clothing. Depending on how you want to behave on certain occasions, you dress accordingly. Fashion is a very important part of every society.
How can clothing harm the environment?
The fashion trends, which have been changing more and more quickly in recent times, are immensely stimulating consumption, which on the one hand leads to overproduction by many manufacturers, since a large part of the clothing on offer is not sold. On the other hand, people buy more clothes than they need - quite rationally speaking. Instead of wearing the clothes until they are broken, they are often only worn as long as they please. In addition, the quality of the clothing decreases sharply in some cases, since it no longer has to last much longer, and fiber mixtures are processed that can only be recycled with great effort or not at all, which is problematic for environmental reasons. The short production cycles mean that higher speeds and/or overtime are demanded from the workers - often without financial compensation.
Which sustainable brands are stocked in your store?
There are larger and very young brands from near and far, but also from Holland or Spain. Including Recolution, MUD Jeans, Lovjoi, Hurricane Apparel, Thinking Mu.
How did you come to opening your own shop for sustainable fashion?
The Ulm range of beautiful and fair organic clothing was clearly too small for me and so I decided to enrich the city with a small, fine shop.
Can I bring my clothes to Krawall&Liebe - Fair Fashion for repairs?
Usually definitely. I am a seamstress and it is very important to me that clothes can be worn for as long as possible. However, there may be times when I am not able to take on orders and do not have a staff member to do so. Then I ask them to go to one of the numerous tailor shops in town.
Are you also designing your own collection called "Anchor girls"?
Yes, exactly. "Anchor girls" have been around since the summer of 2018. Under this name, I produce small and small collections.
Does sustainable fashion appeal more to women or men?
Both women and men. How someone thinks about the manufacturing conditions is completely gender-unspecific. So I also have clothes for all adults. Unfortunately, the store is still too small for a children's department.
So what can the individual do to protect the environment and those involved in the production chain from exploitation?
- Look at the care label, there is all sorts of information on it.
- How is the garment put together in your hands? Prefer pure natural fibers or recycled materials. Avoid fiber blends of synthetic and natural fibers.
- Can the manufacturer be checked by certifiers? From which. Feel free to ask the sales staff what it all means and what the differences are.
- Fix broken clothes or make something else out of them.
- Pass on what no longer fits or you don't like. Don't throw it away right away.
- Look at thrift stores, clothing swap parties, clothing carousels, flea markets, and the internet.
- Only buy things that you really need or that you really like and that you will therefore wear very often.
- Buy from companies or stores that have an environmental and ethical focus. And who mean business too - admittedly, that can be difficult to figure out.
But just asking and maybe doing some research makes a difference. Manufacturers are noticing that we as customers do care how the garments are made and what they are made of. Fortunately, there are now a number of companies - smaller and larger - that are going their own way and attach great importance to social recognition, respect for human rights and protection of the environment. Respect for people and nature is more important to them than big money. And that's important to me! That's why I set up my store as it is, with the brands that I believe in are motivated and sincere.
What do you wish for the future?
Of course, it would be really great if fair fashion weren't anything out of the ordinary anymore, but rather the normal and self-evident. But I am confident that moral pressure from buyers on the textile industry will change the way people are treated in other parts of the world.